title: Relationships between self-rated health, quality of life and sleep duration in middle aged and elderly Australians.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether sleep duration is associated with self-rated health and quality of life in adults residing in New South Wales, Australia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional data from the 45 and Up Study were used. Sleep duration, self-rated health, quality of life and other health-related variables were assessed using a self-report questionnaire. Multinomial logistic regression models were used to examine whether sleep duration predicted self-rated health and quality of life.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sample included 63,408 adults aged 45-95 years. After controlling for a range of covariates, <6 h sleep (OR=1.49, 95% CI 1.31-1.70), 6 h sleep (OR=1.28, 95% CI 1.17-1.38) and ≥9 h sleep (OR=1.56, 95% CI 1.46-1.67) were associated with poorer self-rated health. Similarly, <6 h sleep (OR=1.80, 95% CI 1.57-2.07), 6 h sleep (OR=1.36, 95% CI 1.24-1.49) and ≥9 h sleep (OR=1.41, 95% CI 1.30-1.53) were associated with poorer quality of life.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Short and long sleep were significantly associated with poor self-rated health and lower quality of life in this large sample of middle aged and older Australian adults. While cross-sectional, these results add weight to recent data emphasising the importance of adequate sleep in physical and mental health.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University of Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia. cmagee@uow.edu.au
authors.forename: Christopher A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Magee
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Caputi
authors.forename: Don C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Iverson
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009517:New South Wales / Q000453:epidemiology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011788:Quality of Life; D012890:Sleep; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology